Notorious Thupane arrested again in attempted robbery
Mogomotsi Thupane and Phenyo Ramphane were arrested in Block 7, Gaborone after they attempted to rob Fundex Bureau de Change in Molapo Crossing on Monday morning. The two, reportedly in the company of Matshelo ‘Babyface’ Matlhabakoko, pounced on the offices, pointed a gun at an employee there while asking for money. Luckily, passersby caused a commotion and alerted authorities to the incident.
The men then fled the scene in a sedan, which they had apparently hired for the hit. They exchanged fire with officers who gave chase until they got to the suburb of Block 7 where they ran into a bushy area. A police search clamped on them a while later. Police spokesperson Dipheko Motube confirmed the incident and said that police are still searching for Matlhabakoko who is still at large.
“I can confirm that we have arrested two suspects aged 34 years old. Indications are that three men attempted to rob the said bureau de change but they did not take any money. “With the assistance of members of the public, police managed to arrest the suspects after they fled to Block 7. One of them is still at large and we appeal to members of the public to assist us with information on his whereabouts,” he said.
Motube said they believed that the suspects were part of a larger crime syndicate that has been terrorising businesses and individuals. “Our investigations are still ongoing,” he added. He confirmed that the suspects are linked to several other spates of armed robberies across the country in the past few months. He said they were out on bail for similar crimes at the time of the attempted robbery.
Thupane has been implicated in several armed robberies in recent years. He was arrested a few months ago, following the Choppies robbery in Block 8, where two men stormed the store, with one pretending to be injured and on crutches. The robbers took off with more than P30, 000, part of which was later recovered. Although he is known to come up with illustrative robbery plots, the relentless Thupane almost always gets caught and is a known “customer” of the Botswana Police.